Cigarette dispensing device



F. A. FURR Sept. 12, 1944.

CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE Filed March 2, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Elma/Mm Frank 7. furl; *)We 7i/mw "4 w Sept. 12, 1944.

F. A. FURR Filed March 2, 1945 CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 12, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE DISPENSING DEVICE Frank A. Fun', Bellfonte, Pa.

Application March 2, 1943, Serial No. 477,725

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a cigarette dispenser, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will accommodate a large number of cigarettes free of each other and protected from foreign matter and a manually actuated means for presenting cigarettes, one at a time, for use and includes a construction which will be efficient, durable and easily operated and will possess attractiveness and will be interesting to use.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of' parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating a dispenser for cigarettes constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device and operated to obtain a single cigarette from the cigarette container thereof.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the device presenting a cigarette for use.

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the device with the bottom wall thereof removed showing the operating mechanism in its normal position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the operating mechanism in a position of obtaining a single cigarette from the cigarette reservoir.

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating a drawer or slide for ejecting a single cigarette from the reservoir.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates an elongated hollow base and 3 a reservoir forming an integral part of the base and rising vertically therefrom for accommodating a large number of loose cigarettes. The reservoir 8 takes in approximately one-third of the top surface of the base 5, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and consists of vertical walls I, a removable cover 8 provided with a finger piece 9, an inclined bottom wall Ill and a slide II. The slide II operates through a slot I2 in one of the vertical walls and has slidable contact with the top wall of the base for its support.

The slide II normally lies substantially wholly within the reservoir and extends under the inclined bottom I0 so that cigarettes placed within the reservoir will gravitate into a cigarette groove wholly within the cigarette reservoir 6.

are provided with recesses I 4 to permit flexible Jaws I5 of cigarette dispensing member I6 to straddle a cigarette lying within the groove when the slide II is positioned partly out of the reservoir so that the cigarette may be frictionally gripped by the Jaws I5 for'iretention thereby.

Spaced walls I! are arranged in the base and slidably receive a member I8 to which is secured a vertically arranged head I9 extending through a slot 20 in the top wall of the base and connected to the slide I I for imparting reciprocal motion thereto. A coil spring 2| is mounted on the member I8, and the latter is provided with a slot 22 through which extends an anchoring pin 28 forming a seat for one end of the coil spring. The anchoring pin 23 is suitably secured to the base or may bear against one of the walls ll. The other end of the spring bears against a shoulder 2i on the member I8. The spring normally positions the member I8 so that the slide II will occupy a position substantially When in this position the slide closes the slot or entrance It and with the cover 8 resting upon the vertical walls I, the cigarettes within the reservoir are protected against foreign matter.

An operating shaft 24 is journaled in the base and arranged transversely thereof and is equipped at one end with a finger piece 25- located exteriorly of the base whereby said shaft may be manually rotated.

A stem 26 is Journaled in the shaft 2 and extends upwardly through a slot 2? provided in the top wall of the base. The stem 26 also extends below the shaft 2 5 and has secured thereto a pin it, one end of which is connected to the member It by a flexible element 2%. The other end of the pin is adapted to engage and ride upon the cam 3t located within the base.

The stem 26 at a selected distance above the top wall of the base is enlarged and may take on various shapes or design and forms the cigarette carrier or dispensing member which in this instance represents a bird, the bill portion of which forms the flexible jaws I5. The normal position of the cigarette carrier or dispensing member I8 is transversely of the base with the jawsextending toward one side of the base so that when a cigarette is supported by said jaws a person may readily remove the cigarette therefrom.

In operation, to obtain a cigarette, the finger piece 25 is rotated imparting rotation to the shaft 24 in one direction. The shaft 24 on rotat- It of the slide. Opposite walls of the groove I3 to ing as specified one end of the pin 28 engagesthe cam 30, causing a rotation of the stem and a pull to be exerted on the member l8 against the action of the spring 2|. As the stemrotates, the member' l6 or the jaws thereof are caused to swing to face the reservoir and at the same time swing downwardly until the jaws enter the recesses of the groove l3. As the member I8 is slid the slide II is caused to move partly out of the reservoir carrying in the groove l3 thereof a cigarette from the reservoir, and as before stated, the jaws IS on entering the recesses M of the groove l3 straddle the cigarette lying within the groove 13 and frictionally grip said cigarette without mutilation thereto. As soon as the finger piece 25 is manually released, the spring 2| acts to restore the parts to their initial position,-

that is, the shaft 24 is rotated in a reverse direction and the member l8 returned to its initial position carrying therewith the slide l I back into the reservoir. shaft the cigarette carrier or dispensing member l6 swings upwardly and at the same time rotates to present the jaws facing one side of the base so that a cigarette carried by said jaws can be easily removed therefrom.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a cigarette dispenser, a base and a reservoir mounted thereon, and a slide operable longitudinally of the base into and out of the reservoir and including a groove to receive a single cigarette from the reservoir for movement out of the latter by the movement of said slide, a carrier member normally transverse of the base mounted for swinging and pivotal movement on the base longitudinally and transversely thereof and having means to grip the. cigarette in the groove and to position said cigarette for manual removal therefrom remote from the reservoir and longitudinally of the base, and an operating means for said slide and carrier member.

2. In a cigarette dispenser, a base and a reservoir mounted thereon and a slide operable longitudinally'of the base into and out of the reservoir and including a groove to receive a single cigarette from the reservoir, a carrier member normally transverse of the base adapted for swinging and pivotal movement on the base longitudinally and transversely thereof and having means to grip the cigarette in the groove and to position said cigarette for manual re- Also during this rotation of the moval therefrom remote from the reservoir and longitudinally of the base, a manually operated shaft journaled in said base and having said carrier member journaled thereon, means tocause said carrier member to rotate when moving with said shaft, and means connected to said first means and to the slide for causing movement of the latter by the rotation of said shaft.

3. In a cigarette dispenser, a base and a reservoir mounted thereon and a slide operable longitudinally of the base into and out of the reservoir, and including a groove to receive a cigarette from the reservoir, a carrier member normally transverse of the base including resilient jaws and adapted to swing and rotate relative to the base and longitudinally and transversely thereof for moving the jaws into the groove for gripping a. cigarette therein and for positioning said cigarette remote from the reservoir and longitudinally of the base, a manually operated shaft journaled in the base, means rotatably connecting the carrier member to said shaft for swinging movement With'said shaft during the rotation thereof, a cam in said base, a pin connected to the carrier member to engage with the cam to bring about rotation of the carrier member during its swinging movement, and means connected to the slide and to said pin to impart sliding movement to the carrier by rotation of the shaft.

4. In a cigarette dispenser, a base and a reservoir mounted thereon and a slide operable longitudinally of the base into and out of the reservoir and including a groove to receive a cigarette from the reservoir, a carrier member normally transverse of the base including resilient jaws and adapted to, swing and rotate relative to the base and longitudinally and transversely thereof for moving the jaws into the groove for gripping a cigarette therein and for positioning said cigarette remote from the reservoir and longitudinally of the base, a manually operated shaft journaled in the base, means rotatably connecting the carrier member to said shaft for swinging movement with said shaft during the rotation thereof, a cam in said base, a .pin connected to the carrier member to engage with the cam to bring about rotation of the carrier member during its swinging movement, a spring influenced member slidable in the base and connected to the slide, and a flexible means connecting said latter-named member to the carrier member for imparting sliding movement to said latter-named member for positioning the slide with the groove thereof outwardly of the reservoir.

FRANK A. FURR. 

